The present invention relates to faucets, and more particularly to an insulated faucet for dispensing hot liquids from a heated or insulated urn or the like so that liquid trapped in the faucet for an extended period does not significantly cool.
A faucet connected to a heated or insulated urn for dispensing hot liquids such as coffee, tea, water, and the like, traps liquid between the urn and the faucet outlet in a shank portion of the faucet body. If no liquid is dispensed from the faucet for a period of time, the trapped liquid cools relative to the hot liquid in the urn. Thereafter, the next volume of liquid dispensed through the faucet is not sufficiently hot. The problem is aggravated by the fact that known faucets are manufactured from materials with high thermal conductivity such as brass or other metals, or are manufactured from plastic with a single, thin-walled structure.
An associated problem with known faucets is that the heat dissipated therethrough causes the faucet outer surface, especially in the shank region, to become dangerously hot. This can result in one being burned upon inadvertently touching of the shank.
Also, many known faucets include an uninsulated tubular glass sight gauge connected thereto to provide a user with an indication of the level of liquid remaining in the urn. The liquid trapped in the sight gauge also cools over time relative to the liquid in the urn, and these prior faucets do not include any means for limiting the flow of the cooled liquid from the sight gauge into the faucet when fluid is dispensed from the faucet. Accordingly, the liquid dispensed from the faucet is undesirably cooled.